Please make this game.
February 22, 2008 6:20 PM Subscribe
From Patrick Curry, lead designer of Stubbs the Zombie, comes this concept for a game that I think is nothing short of fantastic: Snow Day.
It snowed today. While I was outside shoveling, cleaning off my car, and throwing snowballs at my sister, I remembered this post on Curry's blog, which posted one game idea a week over the course of a year. There were some that were good ideas, and others I didn't care about very much, but the afore-linked Snow Day was one that I always thought would be something I'd play. After being out in the snow, though, I really feel like this is a game that should be made and could be successful for a number of reasons.
My idea for this game really strikes me as a variation on Animal Crossing. You could create your character and then join a neighborhood with your friends (I'm thinking somewhere around 12 to 20 people in a neighborhood). In the "morning," you could go around to your friends' houses, knock on their doors and ask them to come outside. Once you get outside, you could have snowball fights, build snow forts or snowmen, spray yellow food coloring and water around, or any other fun snow-day activities kids do.
I also envision your character getting colder the longer you're outside. At some point, you'd need to go in and drink hot chocolate, sit by a fire, whatever. This is where I think Snow Day could add a strategy element...if you build a snow fort and leave it unattended for too long, one of your friends could take it over.
I really feel like this is a concept that has a lot of teeth. To me, this game seems suited to Nintendo's upcoming WiiWare platform, both in terms of the distribution (this might not be something I'd pay $50 for, but I'd pay $10 to download it) and in terms of the types of games on the Wii.
I suppose this post has two purposes: one is to share something I found interesting, and the other is to hope there's some game industry MeFi-er out there who thinks this is as great an idea as I do and picks the game up. A pipe dream, I suppose.
It snowed today. While I was outside shoveling, cleaning off my car, and throwing snowballs at my sister, I remembered this post on Curry's blog, which posted one game idea a week over the course of a year. There were some that were good ideas, and others I didn't care about very much, but the afore-linked Snow Day was one that I always thought would be something I'd play. After being out in the snow, though, I really feel like this is a game that should be made and could be successful for a number of reasons.
My idea for this game really strikes me as a variation on Animal Crossing. You could create your character and then join a neighborhood with your friends (I'm thinking somewhere around 12 to 20 people in a neighborhood). In the "morning," you could go around to your friends' houses, knock on their doors and ask them to come outside. Once you get outside, you could have snowball fights, build snow forts or snowmen, spray yellow food coloring and water around, or any other fun snow-day activities kids do.
I also envision your character getting colder the longer you're outside. At some point, you'd need to go in and drink hot chocolate, sit by a fire, whatever. This is where I think Snow Day could add a strategy element...if you build a snow fort and leave it unattended for too long, one of your friends could take it over.
I really feel like this is a concept that has a lot of teeth. To me, this game seems suited to Nintendo's upcoming WiiWare platform, both in terms of the distribution (this might not be something I'd pay $50 for, but I'd pay $10 to download it) and in terms of the types of games on the Wii.
I suppose this post has two purposes: one is to share something I found interesting, and the other is to hope there's some game industry MeFi-er out there who thinks this is as great an idea as I do and picks the game up. A pipe dream, I suppose.
This post was deleted for the following reason: neat link but this is really, truly a GYOB sort of post. -- jessamyn
This post was lots of fun. It does break a few MeFi norms though, so I suppose we'll have a pile-on. But the idea in the link is inspiring, and I'd love a game like this.
Also, it's been snowing here all day, and the library is about to close.
posted by grobstein at 6:43 PM on February 22, 2008
Also, it's been snowing here all day, and the library is about to close.
posted by grobstein at 6:43 PM on February 22, 2008
Forecast for today is heavy snow with over 90% chance of deletion.
posted by Krrrlson at 7:00 PM on February 22, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Krrrlson at 7:00 PM on February 22, 2008 [2 favorites]
When a younger sibling was led to believe something patently false, especially if he would argue for it elsewhere (like that the Mohawk water tower was really full of Mohawk gin), we would yell "SNOWED!"
posted by klangklangston at 7:04 PM on February 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by klangklangston at 7:04 PM on February 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
Plus, this is the sort of idea that could only come from a Southerner.
posted by klangklangston at 7:05 PM on February 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by klangklangston at 7:05 PM on February 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
I also think it's a great idea because people who live in areas that get snow could relive some snow day activities they might have done when they were younger, while people who live in warmer areas could see what it's like to play in the snow.
Just curious...what'd I do wrong in this post? This is my first time posting to the blue.
posted by phaded at 7:09 PM on February 22, 2008
Just curious...what'd I do wrong in this post? This is my first time posting to the blue.
posted by phaded at 7:09 PM on February 22, 2008
Can we beat a ho down, like we can in the GTA games? It's not a sandbox game unless I can beat a ho down.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:10 PM on February 22, 2008
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:10 PM on February 22, 2008
ad haddock - you can beat that ho, right in the snow. yo.
posted by mrballistic at 7:13 PM on February 22, 2008
posted by mrballistic at 7:13 PM on February 22, 2008
phaded: I'd say because it's a post about something that doesn't really exist, and doesn't look like it will exist. It's a great conversation piece, but substance-wise, it's a post that revolves around the phrase "what if?" In the end, nothing will be done about it. Tomorrow, we'll be no closer to this product that we were yesterday.
To sum up, it's not "best of the web."
That being said, I'd love to see Rockstar get ahold of this idea. I'd drop some money on it if it were crafted in the right hands.
posted by gc at 7:14 PM on February 22, 2008
To sum up, it's not "best of the web."
That being said, I'd love to see Rockstar get ahold of this idea. I'd drop some money on it if it were crafted in the right hands.
posted by gc at 7:14 PM on February 22, 2008
@gc: Gotcha. Will keep that in mind for the future. Thanks.
posted by phaded at 7:16 PM on February 22, 2008
posted by phaded at 7:16 PM on February 22, 2008
Everyone should give Stubbs a run. Fun gameplay, nice soundtrack, and you can beat it in one day.
posted by puke & cry at 7:23 PM on February 22, 2008
posted by puke & cry at 7:23 PM on February 22, 2008
That read like a piss take to me.
"Instead of doing normal kids' activites let's do the computer simulated version wot a top idea!"
posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:35 PM on February 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
"Instead of doing normal kids' activites let's do the computer simulated version wot a top idea!"
posted by uncanny hengeman at 7:35 PM on February 22, 2008 [1 favorite]
Stubbs was an awesome game (other than when controlling humans with your hand) with great atmosphere and character.
As for a fullblown game, maybe. Make it something like Urban Dead or Kingdom of Loathing or Hobowars, possibly.
posted by porpoise at 7:37 PM on February 22, 2008
As for a fullblown game, maybe. Make it something like Urban Dead or Kingdom of Loathing or Hobowars, possibly.
posted by porpoise at 7:37 PM on February 22, 2008
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